Category Archives: Project 2 Zine: Research

2D II ZINE: Likeable Layouts

During my research, I was looking at different Zine layouts that caught my eye and compiled 5 of the best ones here, stating what I like best about them.


one

I like this Zine layout because of the strict colour scheme. Pink and mint green work uncannily well together and the layout is definitely not standard – a lot of overlapping of both text and photos makes it very interesting to look at. Even the photos have been edited to match the colour scheme. Though I appreciate this layout for its aesthetics, I’m not sure about how functional and effective it is for actually understanding the text. However, I admire its avant-garde style, it makes it quite original.


two

I like this layout because of the black and white. I usually tend to like darker backgrounds with lighter text. I really like how abstract the background is – it simply looks good, and it reminds you of the stars. I think it’s important to have the design remind you of what the zine’s contents are – if this zine is about stargazing, it does its job well. I also like the singular box in the centre; there is no need for visual hierarchy because there is only one thing you’re supposed to be looking at. The appreciation for simplicity is very obvious in this design.


three

This zine masters a concept that is hard to execute – variety. Zines are aesthetically pleasing when they follow similar layouts on each spread, with the same colour scheme – it looks well composed and very coherent. Variety is important too however, if you want to saturate your reader’s mind with everything you want to talk about (I think this is very valuable for travel zines). This zine pulls off everything from a two-page spread, combines both illustration AND photography, and uses multiple styles of layouts. Each page is a new color scheme, theme, and layout that makes you excited to turn to the next spread.


four

This zine makes good use of geometry. In addition to the colour scheme, you can see cohesion throughout because of the simple use of shapes and line. The colourful shapes against the black and white background also serve to highlight the important aspects of each page, so one doesn’t get lost in the middle of all the geometry The font is also very simplistic, so that all the elements don’t jumble and fall onto one another – complicated, but easy at the same time.


 five

For this zine, I like it a lot because of how beautiful the illustration is. The colours of text and the drawings are also kept simple to make sure the photographs are appreciated, but the illustration is gorgeous – and links the pages too! Birds are an obvious recurring motif throughout the zine and they add a special original touch. It makes me want to illustrate in my zine too.